Republicans who oppose the bill instigated spirited debate that came close to getting personal over raising the minimum wage, the governor's top legislative priority of the year.

The legislation phases in the minimum from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour starting in 2015 to 2017, six months later than the governor proposed. This is being done to give business more time to plan. A floor amendment to raise it to only $8.25 an hour failed.

"Let's raise the minimum wage. Let's not raise it in such a fashion that we put business out of business and workers out of work. That's not our goal," said Delegate Herb McMillan, R-Anne Arundel County.

The bill strikes a provision the governor proposed to tie future increases to inflation. An attempt on the House floor to provide 2 percent increases each year until 2023 was resoundingly defeated. The $10.10 number is supposed to be high enough to offset inflation a few years.

"The value of what we are trying to do right now, increase the wage, will be erased in time because of the cost-of-living increase," said Delegate Heather Mizeur, D-Montgomery County, a Democratic candidate for governor.

The measure carves out an exemption for Six Flags and it keeps an exempt in current law intact for cafes, restaurants and taverns with less than $250,000 a year in gross income.

"We see crony capitalists come to this state and ask for special carve outs again and again," said Delegate Mark Fisher, R-Calvert County.

The bill allows tipped employees to be paid $3.63 an hour in addition to gratuities. If workers don't collect enough to reach the $10.10 an hour minimum, employers will have to make up the difference.

The House will resume working on this bill Friday, which is when a final vote will be taken. The measure then goes to the Senate, where changes are expected.

Delegate Keiffer Mitchell, D- Baltimore City, said he hopes to send the Senate an option to give low-wage earners more of a tax refund as a balance to a lower minimum wage.

"The earned income tax credit helps with that discussion," Mitchell said.

House leaders fully expect the legislation will end up in a conference committee, where a compromise can be struck before the end of the session.

MINIMUM WAGE TO $10.10 AND OUR MOVE FORWARD BUT NOT AFTER -- BUT NOT UNTIL THERE WAS VIGOROUS DEBATE. DAVID COLLINS JOINS US WITH MORE IN OUR 2014 SESSION REPORT. DAVID? THIS BILL HAS GONE THROUGH MORE CHANGES THAN A HOSPITAL MATERNITY WARD. ON THE AMENDMENT -- SPEAKER? THIS IS ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT THING. REPUBLICANS INSPIRED SPIRITED DEBATE. MR. SPEAKER, YOU ARE DOING A TERRIFIC JOB CONFUSING ME. TO BE HONEST THAT IS A HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE STATEMENT YOU'RE MAKING. I'M NOT, SIR. I WAS JUST ASKING ABOUT THE AMENDMENT. THE LEGISLATION WOULD INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE TO $10.10 STARTING IN 2017. THAT IS SIX MONTHS LATER THAN THE GOVERNOR PROPOSED. THAT IS TO GIVE BUSINESSES LONGER TO PLANT. YEAH, LET'S RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE, BUT NOT IN SUCH A FASHION THAT WE PUT BUSINESSES OUT OF BUSINESS. THAT IS NOT OUR GOAL. THE BILL WOULD STRIKE ATTEMPTS TO TIE THE MINIMUM WAGE TO INCREASES IN INFLATION. THE $10.10 NUMBER IS SUPPOSED TO BE HIGH ENOUGH TO OFFSET INFLATION FOR A FEW YEARS. THE VALUE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO NOW TO INCREASE THE WAGE WILL BE ERASED OVER TIME AS THE COST OF LIVING INCREASES. THE MEASURE CALLS OUT AN EXEMPTION FOR SIX FLAGS AMUSEMENT PARK AND KEEPS IN PLACE AN EXTENSION FOR CAFÉS, RESTAURANTS, AND TAVERNS WITH LESS THAN $250,000 A YEAR IN GROSS INCOME. WE SEE THE CRONY CAPITALIST COME TO THE STATE AND ASK OR SPECIAL EXEMPTIONS AGAIN AND AGAIN AND THEY GET THEIR WAY. IF WORKERS DO NOT COLLECT ENOUGH TO REACH THE $10.10 MINIMUM, EMPLOYERS WILL HAVE TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. SO ORDERED FOR THIRD READING. THE SENATE IS EXPECTED TO GET THE BILL NEXT WEEK. $10.10 MAY NOT STAND. THE BALTIMORE CITY DELEGATE HOPES TO GIVE MORE LOW WAGE EARNERS MORE OF A TAX CREDIT. IT HELPS WITH THAT DISCUSSION. HERE IS THE BOTTOM LINE. HOUSE LEADERS FULLY EXPECT THIS LEGISLATION TO GO TO A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE IN THE HOPE OF COMPROMISE WILL BE HAMMERED